I spent a long time thinking about how to begin this blog. I eventually decided that a blog about bargain shopping should, at some point, contain a post on Penneys. So here we are.
The pros: the clothes are keenly priced, no matter how broke you are you can justify buying a top that costs under a tenner, the selection is vast, there’s a store located in most major towns in Ireland and you just never know what little gem you’ll find.
Penneys has in the past, usually in the pre-Christmas months of November and December, offered a cashmere cardigan and jumper range. I wore one cardigan so much it eventually developed holes in the sleeves and I still wear the other jumper on a regular basis. Pure luxury for a fraction of the price!
Dresses can be had for just €13 or less and shopping is made all the easier with accessories, shoes, underwear, jewellery and more under the one roof.
I have a black tuxedo jacket that gets regular positive comments and another mac-like satin black coat that has also gotten a few nods. Penneys, in a few words, simply cannot be ignored if you’re a true bargain shopper.
The cons: you will most likely see someone else wearing the same piece (this can be said of most high-street pieces, however), some of its pieces do not wash well, the shoes can be less than comfortable and it can sometimes be a trying shopping experience with lengthy queues and heaps of clothes to search through to find your size.
The main worries associated with the store can be “will I see someone else with it” and “will people think less of me if they know I bought it in Penneys”.
Some of you might tut-tut at such thoughts but I can assure you they’ve passed through most self-conscious shoppers minds.
Penneys is also ‘hit and miss’, as the saying goes. Sometimes I walk in and want to buy everything (at the moment their selection is very good) but at other times it can be a sigh-uttering and disappointing affair.
If you want to save some time, www.primark.ie, has “sneek peeks” of its ranges. However, you cannot purchase online.
The most amazing thing about the store is how cheaply it can offer products compared to other high-street stores.
At the moment there is a pair of flowery coloured/designed heels in store for about €20. Practically the same pair of shoes are currently in Dune for over €100.
The same thing happened just before Christmas with a pair of black ankle boots with a gold zip. €19 in Penneys but at least four times the price in another leading high street store.
Of course the issue of quality is important. But, as a regular cobbler-goer with all my TLC-needing high-heels, quality is something that is not dictated by price as much as it has been in the past.
“It doesn’t matter what you pay for shoes these days, the heels go on them all eventually,” the cobbler advised wisely during a recent visit.
But I digress, the message concerning Penneys is simple. It’s always worth a look.
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